The Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) and its partner organisation working for the rights of transgender have welcomed the move by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seeking to recruit transgender people in the paramilitary forces in the position of Assistant Commandant, the entry point for officers.
“This is big news for us and I welcome it. I hope it goes through. After such a long time, we are being heard,” said transgender leader and founder of SAKHA, Meera Parida.
Parida said that in 2011, there were around 4.9 lakh transgenders in India. “The community has been demanding equality of opportunity and non-discriminatory policies for decades. Whether it is the education sector, job sector, or political platforms, people of our community should be given opportunities based on their education and calibre. We have seen that many other marginalized communities have been given priority by the Government. It is time we too are given the same priority,” she said. Another leader for transgender rights, Pushpa Mai, gounder of Nai Bhor, Jaipur, is a well-known transgender leader in Rajasthan and a member of the Transgender Welfare Board, Government of Rajasthan also welcomed the move.